


Living In A Lunar Spell

by SherlockianWhovian



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: CSSNS, Captain Swan Supernatural Summer, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mentioned Liam, Mentioned Milah, Minor Character Death, No Smut, Storybrooke, Vampire Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Violence, Werewolf, Werewolf AU, Werewolf Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Werewolf Mates, vampire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 12:19:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15142952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockianWhovian/pseuds/SherlockianWhovian
Summary: Emma Swan relocated to Maine to be closer to her son. She never expected to end up as the mate of a werewolf.





	Living In A Lunar Spell

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thank you to Kayla (allons-y-to-hogwarts-713), who created beautiful art for this fic and acted as a beta reader for me too. Without your suggestions, this fic wouldn't flow half as well! Also a thank you to Krystal (kmomof4) for organizing the event and for making some fab reader suggestions that definitely improved this fic!

Emma Swan raised the axe up and slammed it down, chopping the wood into two relatively even logs. She'd only entered the woodshed to collect some logs for the fireplace, but the minute her eyes landed on the axe, she knew she needed to work off some energy. She'd always prefered more activity-related exercise, and chopping wood was something she'd grown to enjoy on her trips up to Storybrooke, Maine, to visit her son Henry. They'd only reconnected a few years ago, after Emma had given him up for adoption at birth, but now she'd relocated to Maine and taken up a Deputy Sheriff job to be close to him.

With a huff, Emma put down the axe and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt. As she took a few minutes to catch her breath, the howl of a wolf cut through the silent night. The wolf was close, and Emma immediately drew her gun from its holster. She'd never encountered a wolf in the wild before, but she was prepared to protect herself if necessary.

Emma slowly made her way out of the woodshed, torch in one hand and gun in the other. An agonising cry echoed through the forest surrounding her cottage and she slowly headed in the direction of the sound. As she got closer, she could hear pained whimpers and howls, clearly from an injured wolf. She was no vet, but she couldn't just walk away from a suffering animal.

Slowly and carefully, so as not to attract the attention of a potential predator, she pushed the branches aside and made her way into the clearing. Her whole body tensed and froze instinctively, fear rushing through her when she saw the large, black wolf in the centre. Its fur was a rich charcoal, almost shimmering in the moonlight that broke through the tree covering above. The fear drained out of her when the creature began another round of whimpering, clearly writhing and fighting to be free of something.

After a few moments of building her courage, Emma moved around the edge of the clearing until she could see the wolf's face. Its ocean blue eyes were wide with both distress and fear, blinking rapidly and shuttering closed at every movement that caused severe pain. As she crept closer, she got a good view of the injury that was causing so much torment and her stomach rolled with nausea. The wolf's large right paw was caught in a cruel hunter’s trap, and no matter how much the animal fought and tried to pull its paw free, it was stuck fast in the trap's sharp jaws.

"It's alright..." she murmured softly, pausing her approach and holstering her gun when a vicious growl erupted from the wolf, "I'm going to help you. Don't worry, I'm here to help."

The wolf growled warningly again, its large eyes fixed on her, but they showed no malice or real aggression; it was frightened and reacting to its agony, rather than wanting to hunt or attack.

Emma continued to approach slowly, staying low to the ground and keeping herself as small as possible, "It's okay, I'm going to help you,” she soothed.

The wolf whined and let out another howl, pulling at its trapped paw again. She rushed over suddenly, reaching out and resting both her hands atop its leg to stop it from making its injuries worse. It was a beat before she’d realised what she'd done and how much risk she’d taken with the movement. She held still, barely daring to breathe, when she felt the wolf's snout and hot, panting breath near her hair. With a huff that sounded incredibly miserable, the wolf nudged her with its snout, as if to ask her to continue.

"Thank you," she whispered, glancing up at its eyes for a moment before she focused on the task at hand, "This is gonna hurt, but then you'll be free."

The wolf yowled and yelped as Emma pulled the trap open with brute force, but it clearly understood that she was trying to help as it made no move to attack her. She shoved her torch into the gap she'd made as further leverage, managing to open the sharp jaws enough to release the bleeding paw.

"There you go," she murmured, carefully closing the trap and throwing it aside when the large paw was free, "all better now."

The wolf immediately began lapping at its wounds with its long, pink tongue, cleaning the paw of dry blood and bacteria. When it was satisfied with its work, it nudged Emma's shoulder with its large head, gazing up at her for a few seconds before it bounded away into the forest with a noticeable limp.

"Weird," Emma murmured with a shake of her head, getting to her feet and brushing the dirt and leaves from her clothes. She made her way back to the woodshed, using her half-mangled torch to light the way. She grabbed a few logs and locked the shed up, heading back to her cottage for a cosy night in front of the fire with hot cocoa and cinnamon.

 

\---

 

"Ruby, are there lots of wolves around here?" Emma asked curiously the next morning in Granny’s Diner as the waitress placed the plate of pancakes down in front of her.

"Wolves?" Ruby replied with a slight chuckle. "I suppose there are some in the forest, but they don't come near town. Why?"

"I just wondered. There was one near my place last night," Emma replied casually.

"Do you need me to call animal control?" Ruby asked. "Mr. Gold has a store on Main Street, he handles all of the animal control in the area."

"It's fine,” Emma assured with a smile, "It wasn't an issue, I just wondered. You don't really see wolves in apartments in Boston."

"Here's another thing you don't see in Boston." Ruby glanced towards the door, "Killian Jones; nerdy loner, lives near the harbour, works as a photographer. He's also single."

"Will you stop trying to set me up?" Emma laughed, not looking over.

"Never," Ruby replied with a wink. "Killian, come and meet Emma!" she called.

Emma looked up as the man approached and felt her whole body freeze, her heart beginning to pound in her chest when she met his ocean blue eyes.

She knew those eyes.

She'd seen them last night on the face of a wounded and frightened, but grateful, charcoal wolf. She blinked and glanced down, taking in his casual checked shirt and jeans before she looked back up to his face again.

"Hi. Emma, was it?" Killian said softly with a polite nod, his eyes holding a spark of recognition before he managed to hide it.

"Yes. Hi," she replied with a slight smile, reaching out to shake his hand.

He took her hand in his own and gave it a firm shake before he pulled away. He attempted to put his right hand back into his pocket before she saw it, but she managed to glimpse the fresh scar that marred the flesh.

"What did you do to your hand?" Ruby asked as she poured Killian a cup of coffee.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just an accident," he dismissed. "It's healed now, anyway."

"You need to watch yourself, Jones. You've only got that one hand left," Ruby teased.

"Aye, I've not got any more to lose." he chuckled, looking down at the prosthetic hand covered by a black glove on the end of his left arm.

Emma found her eyes drawn to the black glove. Did the wolf have all four paws? She couldn't remember, it had been dark and her attention had been on the wolf's injured right paw.

"Earth to Emma. You're kind of staring," Ruby called, clicking her fingers playfully.

"Sorry." Emma blushed, snapping her eyes away and focusing on Killian's face instead. "Have we met? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

"Not that I know of," he replied quickly, too quickly, as he glanced at his coffee, "I'm a photographer though so I'm usually around."

"Do you ever photograph wolves?" Emma asked, "I was telling Ruby earlier about a wolf I saw last night near my house."

"No, no wolves,” he replied with a slight chuckle, "You should be careful if there are wolves around, they're known to be very dangerous creatures."

"This one didn't want to hurt me," she said, watching his face for a reaction. "It actually had its paw caught in a trap. The scar on your hand reminded me, the cut was in almost the same place on its paw as it is on your hand."

"How strange," Killian replied, finishing his coffee. "I need to go. It was nice to meet you, Emma."

"Nice to meet you too, Killian," Emma called after him as he hurried out of the back entrance of the diner.

Almost as soon as Killian had left, the main entrance opened and a smaller man entered the diner. He scanned the room, clearly looking for someone before he sauntered over to the bar.

"What can I get you?" Ruby asked.

"Just coffee. Black," he replied, leaning against the bar rather than sitting on a stool.

"Emma, this is the Mr. Gold I was telling you about. He runs the animal control shop on Main Street." Ruby introduced them as she poured. "Mr. Gold, this is Emma Swan. She's Henry's birth mother."

"Really, dearie? How fascinating," Gold replied as he glanced over to her with dark eyes. "If you were talking about me then you must have an animal control situation?"

"Emma was telling me that a wolf was in her garden last night," Ruby jumped in eagerly.

"It wasn't exactly in my garden, more like in the forest near my garden." Emma sighed, "It actually wasn't an issue at all."

"You should be careful," Gold replied. "Wolves are feral and dangerous."

"This one wasn't," Emma replied, finishing her breakfast. "I'm going to head out, Ruby. Thanks for breakfast."

"No worries, see you later." Ruby moved to clear the plate and mug away.

"Do be careful, Miss Swan. I'd hate for your time in the forest with wolves to prove fatal," Gold said with a slight smirk.  
Emma frowned at him and didn't reply, grabbing her jacket and moving past him quickly. She could feel his eyes on her as she headed to her yellow Bug.

 

\---

 

Emma sat beside the window long after the sun had set, her eyes fixed on the garden and the forest beyond as dusk fell. She wasn't sure exactly what she was waiting for, knowing that a wild wolf probably wouldn't return to the spot where it had been injured previously. Thinking about the wolf's injured paw brought her back to thinking about Killian Jones again. He had a strange otherworldly quality about him, and there was no denying that he was furry, given the chest hair that she'd spotted where his shirt had been unbuttoned. Werewolves weren't possible, of that she was certain, but she also didn't believe in coincidences. Somehow, Killian had the same deep ocean blue eyes as the strange charcoal wolf.

She sighed a little and sipped her hot cocoa, frustrated by the circular pattern of her thoughts; she couldn't seem to escape thinking about Killian and the wolf. She placed the cup down carefully and looked out the window again, tensing when she saw the very charcoal wolf she’d been thinking about, watching her from the shadows of the forest. He wouldn't hurt her, somehow she knew that, which is why she left her gun behind when she pulled on her boots and coat. She knew she was taking a risk, but there was a reason the wolf had returned.

As soon as Emma stepped out, torch in hand, the wolf's eyes widened and it turned suddenly to flee into the trees.

"Wait!" she called out, her voice loud in the still night. "You probably have no clue what I'm saying, but I just wanted to check that you're okay after yesterday."

The wolf turned towards her but remained a few feet away, taking careful steps backwards the closer she got. It seemed scared or worried, but Emma wasn't sure why.

"I didn't put the trap out. I'm guessing Mr. Gold did," she said, lowering her voice. "You can trust me."

A shot went off and a bullet hole appeared in the bark of a tree trunk about a foot away from them. The wolf fled immediately at full speed, clearly used to escaping hunters. As it bounded away, Emma saw it: the wolf had three paws.

"Apologies, dearie. I didn't mean for my shot to land so close to you." Mr. Gold smirked as he approached, his rifle at his side.

"Then perhaps you shouldn't aim at something so close to me?" she replied with a frown. "What are you even doing here?"

"You mentioned the visit you had from a wolf last night, I'm merely protecting the citizens of Storybrooke and removing the pests,” he hissed menacingly. "That wolf has been a pest here for too long."

"It sounds to me like you have a vendetta against one wolf in particular," she replied. "I'm the first one to live in the cottage for a while; it's probably just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, dearie, or in this case, the mutt,” Gold sneered, his tone razor sharp. "Goodnight, Miss Swan. Do try to avoid the forest tomorrow night, won't you?"

"What makes you think the wolf will even come back to this part of the forest tomorrow?" she asked.

"It's the full moon week. Wolves become a little fixated on things during that time," Gold replied as he walked away. "It looks like you're the target this time."

Emma waited until she was sure that Gold was gone before she sighed and crouched down, placing her hand over the pawprint trodden into the mud. "What are you?" she murmured to herself. She shook her head and glanced around before she made her way home, deciding that tomorrow would be the day that she would seek out Killian Jones.

 

\---

 

The following morning was sunny but with a biting wind, and Emma felt as though she was blown into Killian Jones' photography studio and shop. There was no one at the counter when she entered so she took a moment to admire the photographs on the walls. From the information she'd been able to gather from Ruby over another Granny’s breakfast, she knew that Killian was the photographer for the newspaper, but his own photography mostly featured nature and ships.

"The reflections in the water are just beautiful, aren't they?" Killian's voice came from somewhere nearby and Emma jumped in surprise. She turned to face him with a raised eyebrow, amazed that he'd been able to appear practically behind her without her hearing him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you jump," he apologized with a sheepish smile. "Is there something that I can help you with, Emma?"

She studied him and took note of his pale, exhausted face, the dark circles beneath his eyes and his untamed hair. He looked like a hunted man, or at least a man who struggled to sleep.

"I was visited by a wolf again last night. The same one as before, actually," she started, watching him for any sign of a reaction.

"It must have taken a liking to you then, lass," he chuckled.

"Yes, something like that," she agreed. "It's a beautiful creature, charcoal fur with stunning blue eyes."

Killian glanced away, turning towards his wall of photographs to avoid her seeking eyes. "Aye, wolves do have a certain beauty."

"I'd like to commission a set of photographs," Emma said. "You could come by my cottage and set up a camera, perhaps? To catch some photos of it in the wild?"

"I'll have to check my diary," he replied politely, moving over to the counter.

"What do you think about werewolves?" she asked as casually as she could.

He paused for a moment, looking over to her and debating how he should answer. "I've never met one personally," he said with a nervous chuckle, "so I can't comment."

Emma's eyes widened a little, her internal lie detector going off at his words. "How do you think they're made into werewolves?"

Killian shrugged a little as he pulled out his diary and flicked through the pages. "I'm not much into myths and legends, lass, but I believe they can either be bitten or born with the gene."

She nodded at his words, taking in the information. "It must be a lonely life," she admitted, following him over to the counter.

"I imagine that it is," Killian replied with a tight smile. "Now, about your photographs, I can fit you in next week?"

"I had hoped you might be able to come over this week? I've heard that wolves are more active in the forest during the full moon week," she responded. "You could come for dinner, we could have some wine."

Killian looked at her for a long moment, longing in his eyes. "I'd love to, Emma, but I have prior commitments," he sighed.

Emma looked down at the pages in the diary and saw each evening of that week crossed out. "You have other night shoots planned?" she prompted.

"Aye. I like to spend a couple of nights a month out amongst the stars," he replied. "You come across some fascinating nocturnal creatures."

"Then perhaps you could just set up a camera? Before you go out for the night?" she suggested.

Killian finally nodded in agreement, although the slight shake of his hand as he wrote in the appointment for that afternoon showed his nerves. "Aye. I'll set up a camera," he agreed.

"Excellent, thank you," she replied with a warm smile. "I'm more than happy to pay for your time."

Killian shook his head, "These will be on the house. Wild wolves are notoriously difficult to photograph. I can't possibly charge you for my time when the photos might not even contain this wolf of yours."

"He'll be there," she replied, turning to leave. "He can't seem to stay away."

“You should be careful,” Killian called out as she opened the door, “Wolves are unpredictable.”

Emma smiled back at him. “Thanks Killian,” she said, leaving the shop.

 

\---

 

Emma got up from the sofa and looked out the window when she heard tires on the gravel driveway. A pick-up truck parked and Killian climbed out. She moved away from the window so she was hidden by the shadows of the room and sneakily watched him unload equipment from the truck.  
She walked out into the hallway as he walked to the front door, but she waited a moment or two to answer after he’d knocked, not wanting to seem too eager to see him.

"Thanks for coming over,” she said casually as she led him from the front door to the living room.

"It's no problem,” Killian replied, carrying his equipment in with him. For a man with one hand, his strength and dexterity yet gentleness when handling his photography equipment was impressive. As she glanced back at him, she noticed that his movements were slightly jerky and all of his muscles seemed tense, as though he was full of restless energy yet was nervous at the same time.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she watched him set up the camera on a tripod beside the window in the living room.

"Aye, I've just got a long night ahead,” Killian responded with a tight smile, his answer as vague as she expected for a possible werewolf.

"Perhaps you could show me some of the photographs of the stars that you manage to get tonight, when you come and pick up the cameras tomorrow?" she suggested.

"Aye, perhaps,” he replied, keeping his gaze focused on the camera he was setting up.

Emma could see that he was trying to distance himself by keeping his answers as open and vague as he could so she backed off, choosing instead to watch him out of the corner of her eye while she made coffee for them both.

After setting up the camera in the living room, Killian made his way outside and set up a waterproof camera in the garden too. Almost as soon as he returned back inside, she was beside him with a cup of coffee.

"Stay and have a drink," she said with a polite smile, trying to get to know more of this strange man that fascinated her so.

He accepted the mug and followed her over to the sofa to sit down, although he didn't relax at all.

"So did you grow up in Storybrooke?" she asked, "Most people in town seem to have been here their whole lives."

Killian shook his head, sadness filling his eyes for a moment before it was gone. "No, I grew up far from Storybrooke,” he replied. "I've lived all over the place. This is just the latest in a long line of towns."

She nodded at his words, "I know all about moving from place to place," she admitted. "Storybrooke is the only place that's felt like it could be home."

"Aye, it does have that feel," he agreed, drinking down the coffee quickly. "But I don't have a family so nowhere could ever really be home."

"You're an orphan?" she asked, "I am too. The only family I've got is Henry, my son."

"Henry?" he repeated, considering her words, "You mean the Mayor's son? You're his birth mother?"

"Yes, we reconnected a few years ago,” she replied, strangely pleased that she saw no judgement in his eyes for her abandonment of Henry.

"I had a brother. Liam. He was my only family,” Killian admitted as he put down the now empty mug and got to his feet. "I should be going, the sun's beginning to set."

Emma put her mug down on the coffee table and got to her feet, following him to the front door. "I'll see you tomorrow then? When you collect the cameras?"

"Aye, tomorrow,” Killian agreed, turning to walk away before he paused and turned back to her, "Be careful tonight, Emma."

"I will," she promised with a smile, watching him nod to himself and walk to his truck before she shut the front door.

 

\---

 

Emma didn't stay up to watch for the wolf that night, despite how intrigued she was. She could feel its presence though. It was as though it were pacing around the cottage or guarding the property, but it didn't seem to mean to harm her or any of her possessions. She glanced out into the dark night from her bedroom window, wondering if it was out there somewhere in the darkness, before she shut the curtains and forced herself to go to bed.

When Killian returned to review the footage the following morning, he looked exhausted. He fumbled with the cameras, taking twice as long to retrieve the memory cards as he usually did, before he inserted them into his laptop to download the images.

"Let's have a look at what we've got then," he said through a yawn, clearly forcing himself to remain upright and not slump back into the sofa.

"Did you get any sleep?" Emma asked as she sat beside him, studying him as subtlety as she could.

"A little,” he replied with another yawn.

"Clearly not enough,” she teased, reaching over and gently taking the laptop from him. "Come on, relax and have a sleep here."

"I couldn't possibly impose, lass,” Killian argued.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Look, I know we only met like a few days ago but I am not letting you drive your truck home unless you get some sleep,” she said gently. "It's a wonder you made it over here at all without hitting something."

Killian went to protest but was overtaken by a yawn again, his eyes drooping a little as his body urged him to sleep. "Just for a short while,” he relented.

Emma placed the laptop down on the coffee table and got up, making her way to the airing cupboard to retrieve a spare pillow and blanket. When she returned to the living room after being gone for just five minutes, Killian had removed his shoes and was already asleep. She gently put the pillow under his head and covered him with the blanket, pleased that he was getting some rest after looking so tired.

While he slept soundly on the sofa beside her, Emma picked up his laptop and began to look through the photographs from the memory cards. She didn't expect to see anything, but what she found instead were lots of stunning photos of the wolf. By the time stamps on the images, the wolf had spent most of the night around the cottage, its blue eyes shining out like beacons in the dark images.

After looking through both memory cards and admiring the wolf she'd taken to mentally calling _her wolf_ , she set the laptop down and picked up her book to read while she waited for Killian to wake.

 

\---

 

Emma jumped a little, looking up from her book, when Killian suddenly sat up, slight panic on his face. He'd been sleeping peacefully, but it seemed that his waking hadn't been so peaceful.

"What time is it?" he asked, running his hand through his hair and glancing around the room as though he were checking it for potential threats.

Emma glanced at her watch, "Almost 1 o'clock. You've been asleep for about three hours,” she replied.

"Three hours?" he repeated, sitting up more firmly, pushing the blanket aside and grabbing his shoes. "I didn't mean to sleep for so long. I'm sorry, Emma."

"It's fine,” she assured with a smile, putting her book down. "I've had a look through the photographs from last night and there are lots of the wolf."

"There are?" he asked in surprise, reaching over to the coffee table and picking up the laptop. He lifted the lid and looked closely through the images on the screen.

"Wolves aren't usually so keen to be photographed,” he admitted quietly, looking fascinated but also concerned by the images.

"What is it?" she asked, "What's wrong?"

"The wolf is just so close to your home. If you'd been out there, if it had hurt you..." he trailed off with a sigh.

"I don't think it wants to hurt me," Emma admitted. "I've been close to it before and it didn't hurt me."

Killian glanced down at his hand and Emma's eyes widened a little when she realised he was looking at the scar. If he was a werewolf, which seemed to be surprisingly more likely than expected, did he remember their encounter? She'd definitely seen recognition in his eyes when they'd first met in the diner, but how much was he aware of his time as a wolf?

"I should be going," he said suddenly, a decision clearly made in his mind as he closed the laptop and got to his feet.

"I could make lunch?" she offered, watching him put the laptop away and head to the window to pack away the camera.

"Thank you for your offer, but I've already taken up too much of your time and hospitality,” he replied with a small smile, putting the camera in its case and then into his backpack.

"It's really no problem,” she said gently, getting to her feet too.

"No,” he replied with determination, "it's time for me to go."

"Okay," Emma relented, collecting up the mugs and taking them through to the kitchen while he headed out to the garden to collect the outside camera.

She walked him to the front door once he'd packed up all of his equipment.

"Thank you for coming by and for sorting the cameras out for me," she said, opening the front door.

"It's no problem," he replied, stepping out. "I'll put all of the pictures on a memory stick for you and you can collect it later in the week."

"Thanks, Killian," she said with a smile. "See you soon, and get some sleep tonight!"

Killian chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "I'll do my best, lass."

 

\---

 

As soon as his week of apparent night shoots was over, Killian looked brighter and healthier. Gone was the pale pallor and dark circles beneath his eyes, leaving a much more healthy complexion. The wolf had continued to patrol around her home each night during the rest of the week, but aside from watching it pace through the glass, she made no move to interact with it. Killian had added the photographs to a memory stick and she'd collected it from his studio at the end of the week as promised; a part of her was surprised when she found the entire lot of photos on the memory stick as she half expected him to have not included some of the more crisp shots of the wolf. Clearly, he'd given up on his attempts to warn her away from her interest in the wolf. He'd also seemed to have given up on his attempts to hold her at arm's length.

"What's this?" she asked one morning when she found him beside her car, two coffee cups resting on the roof.

"A charming offer to spend more time together that includes free coffee no matter whether you say aye or no,” he replied with a nervous smile. "I thought that we could do some photography together? Perhaps try to track down your wolf a second time?"

She fought her instincts to narrow her eyes at him, wondering if he was teasing her or if he was fishing for information. "I doubt we'd see him,” she said. "I only saw him last week and he's not been back since. Perhaps he's a werewolf?"

"Perhaps,” he replied, glancing away for a moment. "Is that an aye to spending more time together?"

"Aye,” she agreed with a smile, taking one of the coffee cups from the top of her car. "So, tell me about your photography."

Killian smiled, meeting her eyes before he collected his own coffee cup and led the way towards his studio, enthusiastically explaining his work to her as they walked.

Morning coffees and photography sessions became lunches and day trips within a matter of days, their undeniable chemistry pulling them closer together as they enjoyed getting to know one another while everything was calm.

 

\---

 

For one month, everything seemed fine. They'd gotten to know one another and had gotten into a routine of meeting for coffee and lunch when their schedules coincided. Emma had allowed herself to hope that it had all just been her imagination running wild, that he wasn't a supernatural creature, a werewolf—but then it began happening again.

First it was the week of nights marked off in his diary, but with no information about a shoot or a location. Then it was the food that he ordered at Granny's; usually he'd order a salad or something vegetarian, but suddenly his order became rare steak and huge plates of pasta. Next came the restlessness, the fidgeting and the pacing. No matter where they were or what they were doing, he was constantly in motion. He seemed nervous and afraid at times, but there was also an undercurrent of excitement in his actions.

On the first day of the week with crossed off nights, she wanted to sit him down and question him. She wanted to know every detail and to watch him change into the beautiful wolf she'd seen before, but she knew that she couldn't. He was clearly extremely careful to distance himself from the town and its residents so they didn't find out his secret, but for some reason he'd chosen to let her in as a friend so she didn't want to jeopardize their friendship.

"Have a good time at the shoot tonight,” she said, leaning in and giving him a quick hug on the first day of the full moon week.

Killian hugged her back but looked down at her in confusion. "What was that for, Swan?"

Emma shrugged. "No reason. I just felt like you needed it."

He nodded, a slight blush on his cheeks, "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"If you ever need to talk about anything personal with anyone then you know I'm here for you, right?" she said.

"Aye. Thank you,” he replied with a genuine smile.

"Alright, see you soon,” she said, pulling on her jacket and leaving his studio. She climbed into her yellow Bug and drove home, her thoughts focused entirely on Killian the whole time. She'd originally planned to follow him and try to see him transform that evening but she wanted to wait up and see the wolf instead. If it returned to her cottage that month too then she knew that she'd have no option but to investigate further.

 

\---

 

The wolf didn't disappoint. Emma had stayed up late into the night, curled up on the window seat and wrapped in a blanket, determined to see the charcoal wolf again. Her eyes roamed the darkness of the garden as she looked out of the window and suddenly, there he was. She smiled when she saw familiar bright ocean blue eyes on the wolf's face. It was Killian, she just knew that it was; it was too much of a coincidence for it not to be him.

She pushed the blanket aside and got to her feet, making her way to the back door. She pulled on her coat and boots before she headed into the dark garden. She took a torch with her but she didn't turn it on, letting the moonlight light her way to her wolf.

"You came back,” she said softly when she was just a few feet away, slowing to a stop so she didn't scare him off.

The wolf's ears twitched at her words and its head tilted to one side as he studied her, sniffing the air to take in her scent. Slowly, the wolf took cautious steps towards her, some hesitance clearly displayed on its face.  It didn't seem to be afraid of her, but it wasn't entirely comfortable being in her presence either. Emma reached out and ran her hand over the wolf's furry head when it got close enough to her, marveling at the softness of the charcoal fur. He was beautiful and seemed to glow in the moonlight, his blue eyes watching her as she petted him. They were so distracted by each other that neither of them noticed the figure lurking at the edge of the garden.

The sound of a shot rang out and the wolf howled, backing away from her and twisting its head around to try to see what he'd been shot with and where it had hit.

Emma rushed towards him as he began to become woozy and slumped to one side. As he fell, she fell to her knees beside him, her panic only increasing when she saw the dart lodged into his haunch.

"I should thank you, Miss Swan." Gold's voice chuckled as he strode across the garden with a dart gun in hand. "I've been tracking this wolf around Storybrooke for months but it's only since it met you that it's become painfully predictable."

"What the hell did you shoot him with?" she demanded, pulling the dart out of the wolf.

"It's just a sedative, dearie,” Gold replied with a smirk, swapping the dart gun for the pistol on his belt. "It'll keep him down long enough for me to end his existence."

"Why do you have this crazy vendetta against him?" she asked in confusion, her eyes widening as she watched him load the pistol.

"That mutt killed my Milah," Gold hissed through clenched teeth. "Two hundred years we were together and he destroyed her!"

"Two hundred years?" she repeated, "That's not possible! Unless you're a..."

"A vampire?" he smirked, "That's what the media like to call us, dearie."

"Is that not your true name then?" she asked, trying to keep him talking as her hand moved behind her back to find some sort of weapon.

"We're hunters. We sold our souls to the devil in return for immortality. It's our job to wipe out murderous mutts like him,” Gold explained. "Now, enough chat, move aside."

"No," Emma said with determination, keeping her body between Gold and the wolf, "I won't let you do this."

Gold rolled his eyes and lunged for her, attempting to knock her out of the way. At the same time he moved forwards, she raised her arm and plunged a sharp branch into his chest. He was on her property and she was determined to protect both herself and the wolf she suspected to be Killian.

"No! You fool!" Gold spat as he staggered backwards, the branch lodged firmly in his chest, "You can't trust him, he's a killer!"

"And you're not?" she shouted, watching him fall to the ground a few feet away. She stayed beside the wolf but her eyes were fixed on Gold. He'd fallen still on the ground and his skin was rapidly blackening. A gust of wind rolled in from nowhere and he was gone, his body turning to ashes and being carried away with the wind.

It took her some time to swallow down the shock of what she’d seen to decide on a plan of action. She'd killed a man, a vampire or a hunter or whatever he was, but she didn't feel any regret. The wolf was safe, _Killian_ was safe, and she knew in that moment that she'd do anything to protect him.

 

\---

 

Emma had dragged the wolf into the house, deciding that it was the best place for him to safely sleep off the sedative. She sat on the floor beside him, watching the gentle rise and fall of his body with each breath. She couldn't explain the feelings she felt towards him; she'd grown to like the Killian that she knew, there was certainly a potential relationship growing between them, but now she felt a strong tie to him.

As dawn broke and sunlight landed on the charcoal wolf, any thoughts of it all being her imagination faded. The fur receded as bones carefully realigned, leaving a shivering Killian on the floor where the wolf had been just moments ago. She carefully lay a blanket over him, tucking it closely around him to keep him warm until he chose to wake.

She knew that she should probably be terrified, that normal people would have packed their things and left the town by now, but she was intrigued. Killian may be a werewolf, and his wolf form may be capable of causing damage with his sharp claws and large teeth, but he'd never shown any intention to harm her. The wolf had paced around her property protectively last month, not damaging anything, and he'd let her stroke him last night. She wondered how much of his time in wolf form that Killian actually remembered.

Emma had just placed two fresh cups of coffee down on the coffee table when Killian began to wake from his slumber.

"Morning,” she said, sitting down on her sofa as though there wasn't a werewolf lying on her living room carpet.

"Emma?" he mumbled in confusion, slowly sitting up but keeping the blanket around him. "How did I get here?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" she asked, picking up her mug and sipping her coffee.

Killian shook his head a little and forced himself to think back over his most recent memories. "Gold," he realised in shock. "Gold shot me with something and-"

She looked up at him as his words stopped suddenly, his eyes widening when he realised that his secret was out.

"You know,” he said quietly, pure fear on his face.

Emma nodded. "You're a werewolf," she said. "I have some questions."

Killian nodded a little. "I'll answer them," he agreed, "But first, will you tell me what happened with Gold?"

"He shot you with a sedative dart and was going to kill you. So I killed him," she replied simply.

"But he's a-" Killian started.

"A vampire? I know, he told me. Believe me, it was an eventful evening for me," she chuckled humorlessly.

"How are you coping with it all?" he asked, watching her nervously. "It's a lot to take in."

"I don't know,” she admitted with a shrug, "It hasn't really hit me yet."

"What questions do you have?" he asked, picking up his mug and drinking some coffee.

"What happened to Milah?" she asked, "He said that his vendetta was all about her death, so what happened?"

Killian sighed and shuffled backwards so he was leaning against the wall, holding the mug in his hand. "To explain that, I need to explain some other things. When you first transform into a wolf, it's incredibly confusing. You've got to accept it, to learn about your new form, but you've also got to teach it to obey your will. The wolf is you, but it's also its own entity,” he explained. "You have to teach it what is or isn't food, for example, or you'd just go on a killing spree whenever you transformed. I didn't want to be a wolf, it took me a long time to accept it, and both Milah and my brother suffered because of it."

"You hurt your brother?" Emma asked gently.

Killian nodded, sadness radiating from him. "I killed Liam during my first transformation,” he admitted, "I was angry and afraid and he was just trying to help me accept what I was, but I couldn't understand how someone could accept something so monstrous. The wolf took my distress to mean that we were being attacked and lashed out."

Emma gasped quietly at his sad tale, unsure what she could say to comfort him. "And Milah?" she prompted.

"Milah found me the following day, covered in my brother's blood and catatonic beside his remains. She knew what I was the moment she saw me, but she told me that she wouldn't kill me as I was the same age that her son had been when he'd died." He continued, "She showed me mercy and helped me to give Liam a respectful burial, but that night when I transformed the wolf knew she was a hunter and killed her within minutes."

"And Gold's been after you ever since?" Emma guessed.

Killian nodded and looked up at her. "I fled that same night and have been on the run from him ever since,” he said. "After Liam and Milah's deaths, I hated what I was even more than I had initially. It caused something of a rift between myself and the wolf and it took me many transformations to accept it and begin to control my new form."

"Is that why you were so worried about me being near the wolf? It still kills?" she asked curiously.

"I've taught it and it's learnt, but I can't help but be nervous when it wants to be around you so much,” Killian admitted with a sigh.

"So when you transform and now you've accepted it, are you fully in control of it?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No. The wolf does what it wants to do, like pacing around your cottage for instance, but I push my will onto it when I need to."

"Why does it keep coming back here?" she asked.

"That's a little trickier to explain," He chuckled nervously. "The wolf seems to think that you're its mate."

 

\---

 

"Aren't you cold?" Emma asked, stepping out into the garden and looking over to where Killian was sat on the bench, the blanket wrapped around his waist.

He shook his head, his eyes fixed on the squirrel that was climbing one of the trees nearby. "My temperature is always a little warmer during the moon week."

Emma slowly walked over to him and sat beside him on the bench. She'd practically bolted from the living room when he'd told her that the wolf saw her as its mate; after all the supernatural things she'd experienced in the last 24 hours, that had been a step too far. Now that she'd gathered her thoughts, she felt ready to hear more.

"How does a wolf choose a mate?" she asked curiously.

Killian turned to face her, a frown on his face as he tried to think of a way to easily explain the wolf's behaviour, "It's all instinctual. You were kind to it and freed it from the trap, so it returned to protect you,” he said. "Then it seemed to like your scent. We've gotten to know one another over the last few weeks and the wolf is aware of that, so this time it returned to you knowing it would be welcomed as a friend."

"If I rejected it as a mate, what would happen?" she asked tentatively.

"I'm not sure,” he admitted softly, "It's never identified anyone as a mate before. I suppose I'd have to move to another town to stop it from returning to you during each transformation."

"Look, Killian, I don't know what to do about any of this." Emma sighed, looking over to him. "I like you but this is a lot to accept."

"I understand,” Killian replied with a nod. "I don't expect anything from you, Emma. I'll try to stay away during my transformations this week."

"You don't have to do that,” she said. "The wolf isn't a problem at night."

"It may not be a problem for you at this point but it's best that the wolf doesn't get more attached." He sighed, "I don't know if I'll be able to keep it away if it gets attached to you."

"Alright, try to keep it away tonight and we'll see what happens," she agreed with a slight smile. "I'm going to go and grab some takeout from Granny's, do you want anything?"

"I don't know if-" he started, looking a little unsure.

"I can get you a steak," she assured with a smile. "You like it raw, right?"

"Aye,” he replied sheepishly, "Thanks, lass."

"Do you want me to grab anything else? Some clothes maybe?" she asked, doing her best not to outright stare at his bare chest.

"Aye, if that makes things easier for you,” he agreed. "I don't mind either way as I'll return home after my transformation tonight."

"Alright then, I'll see what I can do," she replied, getting to her feet. "I'll be back in a bit, stay out of trouble."

 

\---

 

"Boy trouble?" Ruby's voice broke through Emma's thoughts and she looked up. She was sat in one of the booths in the diner, waiting for her takeaway order to be ready.

"Sorry Ruby, I was miles away,” she admitted with a sigh, looking back down at the cup of cocoa between her hands.

"What's going on with you?" Ruby asked, sitting down opposite her in the booth. "Has Killian done something?"

"Killian? Why would it be about Killian?" Emma replied quickly.

"I've seen you two hanging out, so clearly something's happened to make you look so down,” Ruby explained. "What did he do? Do I need to go over to that studio of his and give him a talking to?"

Emma laughed and shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that,” she assured, "I just found something out that's left me feeling a little out of sorts."

"What did you find out? Can I help with anything?" Ruby prompted.

"It's just work. Sometimes you find out that people who you thought you knew actually have secrets or aren't the people you knew at all,” she replied.

"Are you sure that's all it is?" Ruby asked gently.

Emma nodded. "I'm fine, really. I just needed to sit and clear my thoughts,” she replied with a smile. "Thank you for checking up on me."

"That's what friends do,” Ruby replied. "I'll go and check on your order."

"Thanks Ruby," Emma said, watching her go. She looked back down at her cocoa and brought the cup to her lips, quickly drinking down the sweet, rich liquid. She wondered what Killian had been doing whilst she was out, a blush lighting her cheeks as she imagined his shirtless form relaxed in the grass, sunbathing in her garden as he awaited her return. She'd only ever seen Killian dressed in his usual jeans, shirt and leather jacket before that morning, so it was still a little strange to imagine him without clothes at all.

"Here you are,” Ruby announced, placing the two bags of takeaway down on the table and bringing Emma out of her wandering thoughts once more.

"Thanks Ruby,” Emma said, gratefully taking the distraction and pushing thoughts of a shirtless Killian to the back of her mind as she got to her feet.

"Rare steak, eh?" Ruby conspiratorially whispered with a raised eyebrow, "That sounds like the order of someone else I know."

"We're having lunch, that's all you need to know." Emma chuckled, "Bye, Ruby."

"Bye Emma, give Killian my regards!" Ruby called with a wink.

Emma shook her head in amusement and took the bags of food back to her yellow Bug.

 

\---

 

Emma parked outside her cottage and sat in the car for a few moments, gathering her thoughts before she faced Killian again. She'd run through multiple scenarios in her head at the diner, trying to decide what she wanted to do about the wolf situation. She liked Killian, and she knew that he liked her too. She wanted to give them a chance, but she also didn't want to wrongly lead the wolf on if things didn't work out between them.

With a sigh, she climbed out of the car and grabbed the bags of food, locking up before she made her way into the house. She walked through the house to the garden, her eyes widening in shock when she saw Killian. It was eerie how he was lying in the exact same position in the grass that she'd imagined him in, as though she hadn't imagined it but had instead seen a vision of him.

"Admiring the view, Swan?" he said with a grin, his eyes still shut as he remained relaxed in the sun.

"You're so full of yourself,” she teased, making her way over to him and sitting in the grass beside him, putting the bags of food between them.

He opened his eyes and sat up, adjusting the blanket around him to make sure he was still covered before he looked up at her. "What's wrong?" he asked, instantly noticing the slight worry in her eyes.

"Is it normal for mates of wolves to see visions of what their mates are doing?" she asked, the words flowing out of her. "It's just that I was in the diner and I saw you out here, lying in the sun, and I thought it was just my imagination but then I came home and you were lying exactly as I'd imagined, literally in the exact same position, and now I'm worried that after everything I've seen that I've gone crazy or something."

Killian listened to her words, his face remaining neutral throughout. "You've not gone crazy,” he assured gently. "When you met the wolf and saved me last night, how did you feel?"

"I just felt as though it was my wolf and I'd do anything to protect it,” she admitted, "I didn't even think about it when I killed Gold, I just did it because it's what needed to be done to save you. I still don't feel regret. Does that make me a monster?"

"You're not a monster, you're my mate,” he replied, reaching out and taking her hand, "Emma, the visions are perfectly normal between mates but to have those visions, you would need to have accepted me and the wolf. I know you've accepted the wolf, you've just told me that you felt he was yours and that you'd do anything to protect him, but have you accepted me?"

"I don't know, I mean, I've never been very good at this whole relationships thing,” she stuttered softly, looking down at their joined hands, "But there is something between us and I do feel a tie to you. Perhaps I have accepted it deep down? I don't remember making a decision on it..."

"What is it?" he prompted as she trailed off, squeezing her hand gently.

"I accepted you both,” she realised, her voice soft, "When Gold turned to ashes, I was happy that the wolf was safe but also that you were safe. There was a clear distinction in my thoughts between you and the wolf."

 

\---

 

After an awkward lunch, where they ate their food side-by-side in silence, Emma lay beside Killian in the grass and closed her eyes.

"If you're upset about accepting me then I'm sure we can find a way to stop it,” he murmured, clearly saddened by her shocked reaction. "Perhaps putting distance between us would help? I could go to Canada, or perhaps Europe?"

"I'm not upset about accepting you,” she said, turning onto her side and opening her eyes so she could look at him. "I like you and I like the wolf too. I don't want you to go away. I suppose I just need some time to take it all in."

He nodded in understanding and began to get to his feet. "I'll let you have some space."

She grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. "Will you stop trying to leave me?" she asked with a slight chuckle. "I feel better with you beside me."

"I don't know what will happen when I transform," he said, admitting his own fears as he lay back down in the grass beside her. "I don't know whether the wolf will patrol around to try to protect you like it's done before or whether it'll bring you gifts or something else entirely. Tonight will be a new experience for us both."

"Do you usually transform inside or outside? Could I watch?" she asked.

He nodded, "Aye, you could watch, but it's a little unpleasant,” he said, "I usually transform in one of the outbuildings on my property, it's undercover and away from prying eyes, but it's close enough to the outside that the wolf doesn't panic that it's trapped."

"Would my woodshed be okay for you to use?" she suggested, "If we leave the door partially open then the wolf would be okay with that, right?"

"Aye, he should be,” he agreed with a smile. "Thank you for being so understanding, Swan."

"We're mates now so we're going to get through this together,” she decided. "I've already met the wolf briefly and he seems gentle and kind towards me, so we shouldn't have any issues there."

"A wolf is incapable of hurting their mate," he explained. "It would sooner end its own existence before harming you. As soon as it identified you as its mate, I knew it wouldn't hurt you, but I was still reluctant to allow it to be close to you just in case it became too attached."

"You didn't think I'd accept it?" she realised.

"I'm a freak, Emma, of that I'm aware. I didn't want to force you into having to live a lie too,” he admitted, "I'm overjoyed that you're willing to be my mate, but I'm still sorry for bringing you into all of this. I tried to stay away, to push you away even, but now I think it'd kill both me and the wolf to be away from you."

"Then don't go anywhere,” she said. "Stay with me here."

 

\---

 

"Do you have to do anything to get the process started?" Emma asked, her eyes fixed on him as she sat on a bench in the woodshed, her coat on and a blanket around her to keep the evening chill off.

"No, it'll start automatically when the moon is high in the sky and when the moonlight hits my skin." he replied, his back turned to her as he looked out of the window in the woodshed, staring up at the stars in the sky.

Mere minutes later, a full-body shudder went through Killian as the moonlight landed on his skin, the transformation process finally beginning. Emma forced herself to stay put, knowing she couldn't stop the transformation, but she hated watching him cry out in pain as his body began to change. He fell to his knees, breathing hard and crying out as his bones realigned and fur grew out from under his skin. She watched the entire process with wide eyes, amazed at how seamless and fast it was. She'd seen the wolf become human again, but watching a human become a wolf was something else entirely. The wolf shook the blanket off its back and stretched, licking its lips as its ears flickered around, taking in the sounds around it. Finally, its ocean blue eyes landed on her.

She didn't dare to breathe for a moment as it approached, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited to see its reaction to her. He sniffed at her and bent down to rub his furry face against her shin before he sat back on his hind legs and rested his head in her lap, letting out a sound of contentment.

She smiled and reached down, running her fingers through his fur and petting him behind his ears. "Hey Killian,” she greeted but fell silent at the wolf's huff of protest. "Sorry, you're two separate entities, aren't you? We need to give you a name. Do you like Killy?"

The wolf agreed to the name with a nod, its eyes closing as it sat with her, clearly quite content to remain at her side instead of venturing off into the forest.

"Will you come inside with me?" she asked hopefully. "It's a little chilly out here for us humans."

The wolf grumbled a little but it got up and followed her out into the garden, whining a little and nudging her leg with its head as she led the way towards the house.

"What is it?" she asked, turning to face him when he stopped on the grass, his large blue eyes fixed on her.

He nodded his head towards her and then nodded towards the treeline, letting out a pleading whine.

"You want me to come for a walk with you?" she asked in surprise, smiling at the wolfy grin he gave her when she understood his meaning the first time. His personality was clearly different to Killian, yet he was easy to read in the same way that she found Killian easy to read.

"Come on then,” she agreed, "But not for too long, it's late for me."

He bounded a little in excitement as she walked with him to the treeline, before he darted behind her and nudged the back of her knees with his large head. She yelped as she lost her footing, preparing to land on the hard ground, but instead she landed on his soft, furry back. She had just enough time to get a little more comfortable and hold onto the fur at the back of his neck before he was off, running through the forest at an impressive rate with her on his back.

 

\---

 

When they returned to the cottage, Emma's hair was windswept and her cheeks were pink from the chill of the night, but she had a large smile on her face. The wolf had taken her around the forest, letting her experience his world as she clung to him, letting out whoops of excitement as he jumped over obstacles or increased speed.

"That was amazing!” she practically gushed, climbing off his back and kneeling beside him, running her hands through his fur. He let out soft noises of contentment at her touch, his eyes closing as he trusted her completely. She stayed outside in the grass with him for as long as she could before the cold started to get to her.

"Come inside,” she suggested, leading the way to the back door. "My bed is big enough for two, even in your wolf form."

The wolf followed her without complaint, padding along behind her as she led the way to her bedroom.

"I'm not quite sure how this will work," she admitted. "Make yourself comfy while I get changed."

The wolf huffed a little when his human left the room but he did as she'd suggested and got himself comfortable on one side of the bed. For a single woman living alone in a cottage, the bed was surprisingly big and for that he was grateful. They'd both be able to comfortably sleep beside one another in either of his forms.

"This is a little strange." Emma chuckled as she climbed into bed beside the wolf once she'd gotten changed into her pyjamas. "But we'll make it work."

 

\---

 

"Well?" Killian said nervously when she turned to face him in the morning, now back in his human form and still in bed beside her. "Is the wolf thing something that you can accept?"

"It'll be a challenge, but I like a challenge," she replied, reaching out and resting her hand on the side of his face. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Now that I've found you, I'm not letting you out of my sight."


End file.
